


Everlasting Magic

by theflamboyantdancer



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Fantasy, Gay, Gay Sex, M/M, Mages, Magic, Multi, Vampires, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-19
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 17:46:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3390560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theflamboyantdancer/pseuds/theflamboyantdancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alfred was a normal village man living with his brother Matthew until the mysterious fog rolled in from the Everlasting forest. A certain albino came to their door in need of desperate help. A dark force loomed over all of them before things changed forever. Supernatural/Fantasy AU! Vampires! Mages! War! Warnings inside! Pairings: UsUk, Hinted FrUk, Prucan and slight RusCan! Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Warnings: Blood, Gore, foul Language, Violence, Disturbing scenes, Magic!

Pairings: UsUk, Slight RusPru, PruCan, and some other pairings along the way.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

Please enjoy~

Everlasting Magic

Chapter 1

There was something about that morning that just didn't feel right. Maybe it was the heavy rain and dark clouds that had something to do with it but no there was no doubt in Alfred's mind that something was terribly wrong here. He had sensed it the moment he woke up on that dreary, rain covered morning.

Alfred lived with his brother in a small cottage on the outskirts of a village near the edge of The Everlasting Forest. His brother, Matthew, had let him live there with him after their parents had died in a strange accident so many years back.

Alfred had been hearing some strange rumors around the village that other villages were being attacked late at night by bandits. Other people, however, were saying that these bandits were no ordinary bandits but monsters. Alfred didn't believe in such rumors but that morning he could feel a sense of dread in the air. That uneasiness had made his mind even more troubled.

Alfred went about his daily routine anyway, ignoring the uneasiness in the air as he got up and put on his normal white peasant shirt and brown trousers. He then put on his brown vest and black knee high boots and lazily stuffed the pant legs inside his boots.

He walked out of the small room that was his bedroom and entered the main room, only to be greeted by the warm smile of his brother.

"Oh, good morning Alfred." Matthew said, smiling at his brother. Alfred smiled back.

"Good morning, you seem unusually cheery today." Alfred said.

Matthew frowned at that. "Alfred, you do know what day it is, right?"

Oh yes, how could he forget? This was the day of their parents' death so many years ago. Both of their parents had died in the very cottage they now lived in. Their throats slit but there was no blood to be found. Not a single drop of it. It had been a mystery ever since. For ten years no one was caught or had any explanation as to what happened that night. Matthew and Alfred hadn't been home at the time, they were playing in The Everlasting Forest, even though they weren't supposed to.

"Of course I know what day it is, Mattie. How could I forget?" Alfred smiled sadly at his brother.

"We should go visit them then." Matthew suggested.

"Yeah, you're right." Alfred said. They did this every year on the anniversary of their parents' death.

Matthew got up for where he was sitting on a chair next to a small table. He was wearing the same thing as Alfred only instead of a brown vest he was wearing red. He grabbed his and Alfred's cloak. Alfred followed Matthew to the door of the small cottage and stepped out into the drizzle of rain, covering their heads with their hoods as they walked down a muddy path to the back of the cottage. Matthew stopped just short of two headstones just under a tall willow tree. Alfred stopped next to his brother, admiring the noise of the rain fall. Then he noticed Matthew was crying softly. He always did this when they visited their parents'. He started to feel tears at the corner of his eyes. He put an arm around his brother to comfort him. It worked, a little.

The rain was starting to come down harder now and so were the tears both men shed. They both were hugging each other tightly now as they grieved for their loss.

When they were both done, soaked with rain water and tears, they decided it was best to go back into the cottage before they caught a cold.

As night fell, Alfred felt more and more uneasy. His uneasiness was more definite when he looked out of the window in his bedroom to see, as the sun was going down, a thick fog coming out of The Everlasting Forest. That was not a good sign.

The Everlasting Forest was the most beautiful forest Alfred had ever seen. Many people say that the forest just goes on forever, that there is no end to its beauty or serenity. The myth and legends of the forest hold a darker history, though. Alfred had heard stories about the forest being a very, VERY, dangerous place, especially at night. The people around the village say they hear cries and howls of the creatures that live in the forest. Alfred did hear such things at night but not at the extent of what the villagers were talking. They said there were banshees and evil wizards and warlocks in there, even vampires!

Alfred didn't believe in any of that hocus pokus stuff like magic or vampires. But he did believe in ghosts.

A chill went down his spine as he thought of those whaling ghosts called banshees. Legend says that if a banshee howls, someone was going to die. Another chill went up and down Alfred's spine as he pictured a banshee, long ghostly grey hair, pale face, floating body covered in long tattered robes, a misty, screaming apparition of death. Banshees are usually told to be female, though Alfred wasn't all that sure why.

Alfred suddenly jumped as Matthew entered his room without permission.

"Dude! Don't you dare do that again, man. You scared the shit out of me." Alfred exclaimed as he sat up from bed.

"Sorry, look Al, can we talk for a minute?" Matthew asked timidly.

"Sure man, what's up?" Alfred asked, feeling the uneasiness getting heavier by the second.

"Um, have you been feeling odd today? Like something is terribly wrong...?" Matthew said with a worried scowl on his face. He sat next to Alfred on his bed.

"Yeah, now that you mention it I have been feeling it all day." Alfred said, mimicking his brothers' scowl. Matthew sighed.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that. Your instincts are better than mine. I just can't help but feel something bad is going to happen. I tried to ignore it but...it just keeps creeping around like a shadow. Like some bad aura or something. Have you seen the fog outside yet?" Matthew was worried. So worried in fact it scared Alfred a little.

Alfred looked out the window, noticing it was already pitch black outside, though he could still see the fog as it rolled past the cottage into the village like the plague. The moon was high and full. It shone bright enough to actually see the fog creeping out of The Everlasting Forest.

"Yeah, I can still see it." Alfred said. He looked back at his brother. Matthew's features were dark with worry as he was deep in thought. His head snapped up at a loud sound coming from the front door of the cottage.

They both jumped as loud bangs were heard at the front door. Alfred looked at Matthew in question. Matthew just shrugged and moved out of the room and down the short hallway to the front door. Alfred followed him as well.

There was loud, frantic banding on the door followed by shouts of panic. Matthew quickly opened the door, only to be pushed aside by a frantic white-haired albino man. He slammed the door shut and dead bolted it. He was breathing heavily and his clothes were muddy and tattered. His red eyes were wild with fear as he grabbed Matthew and brought him into a hug.

"Bitte helft wir! I don't want to die." The albino said, gripping Matthew tighter.

Matthew was in complete shock and so was Alfred. Matthew hugged him back even though he didn't even know the guy. Alfred finally spoke up.

"H-hey man, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Alfred's voice caught the man's attention. He looked up and saw Alfred standing there, then realized he was hugging someone. He had completely forgotten why he was here for a moment.

"Um..." He let go of Matthew, who stood there puzzled for a moment. The albino was about to say something when Alfred spoke up again.

"Oh my God, your head is bleeding!" Alfred exclaimed. The albino's memories came rushing back to him and his hand whipped up to feel a trail blood ooze down his face. His entire body shook with fear as he looked at the door and back at the two men standing in front of him.

"We have to get out of here." The albino said in a sullen voice that was nearly a whisper.

"Wha..." Alfred was just about to say when there was an overpowering wail heard from outside of the cottage. All three men had to cover their ears because of the high pitched scream.

"We have to go, NOW!" The albino tried to shout over the loud scream. The screaming suddenly stopped and silence fell.

There was a polite knock on the front door and everybody jumped at the sudden sound. The albino looked nervously at the door. He knew exactly who and what was behind that door. Matthew stepped up beside the albino, giving him a questioning look. He had the feeling that something bad was behind the door and made no move to open it.

"Do I want to know what exactly happened to you?" Matthew whispered, hoping to get the albino to explain what the hell was going on. Matthew noticed Alfred being unusually quiet, which wasn't like him at all.

"Shush! They can still here you." The albino spoke with a hushed tone.

"'They'? Who are 'they'? Matthew asked and looked back at Alfred, who was not paying any attention to the door, but to the window on the other side of the room. Alfred's face was frighteningly pale. His mouth opens as if he were to scream in fear.

"Al, what's wrong?" Matthew asked. Alfred continued to stare at the window, completely ignoring his brothers' existence. He turned to look at the window and so did the albino.

On the other side of the window was a ghostly face of a young woman peering in at them. The albino started to panic just as there was another knock on the door, more eager now. Only now there was a voice behind the door.

"Come on, Gilbert. Natalia can see you from the window~. Are you sure you don't want to come out and play?" The deep voice of a man laced with accent said. The voice sent shivers down everyone's spine.

Alfred had finally come to his senses and noticed he was shaking in his boots. Matthew was doing to same. He looked at the man known as Gilbert. The albino's eyes were wide. The blood that was trickling down the left side of his face had somewhat dried. Matthew was still staring at the woman's face in the window. The woman stared back intently, her cold gaze locked on all three of them at once.

Gilbert felt like he couldn't breathe, couldn't speak, couldn't move. He turned his gaze away from the haunting stare of the apparition of the woman in the window. He looked at the door, praying to god that they would just go away. He didn't get his hopes up though; he knew these two were out for blood and lots of it.

"Well Gilbert, if you are just going to stand there and not answer me then I guess I have no choice..." The voice said. There was a creepy aura around the door when it suddenly exploded into a thousand wooden shards. All three were shocked at the sudden blast and covered their eyes as to not get wooden shrapnel in them. When the dust and shrapnel cleared a tall, darkly dressed man walked slowly forward. He wore a snow white scarf and long dark cloak. His light blonde hair blew softly over his face, nearly covering his deep lavender like eyes. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the other two blonde haired men next to Gilbert. That creepy smile grew even more as he stepped forward, inches from a frozen Gilbert.

"Well, Gilbert? Do you want to do this the easy way or should I just drain them both dry and drag you back to my home by your hair before having you as a snack as well?" Gilbert shuddered at the words. He could feel the tall man's breath and as he leaned in close to his face, searching his eyes.

"What's the matter? I thought you wanted this. I thought you wanted to be with me." The tall man's smile turned into a frown at that. Gilbert knew this was going to be bad.

"Um excuse me?" A voice piped up and the tall man looked up. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" The smaller of one of the blonde brothers spoke up demandingly.

The tall man stood up straight and that creepy smile dangerously made its way back onto his lips. "I am Ivan Braginski and I am here to cause you more pain than you could possibly imagine." As he said this misty woman in the window howled her song of death and that's when they all knew they were doomed.


	2. Chapter 2

WARNINGS: BLOOD GORE, VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE, YAOI~ BOY X BOY! DON'T LIKE, GET OUT NOW~

DISCLAIMER: DO NOT OWN HETALIA OR CHARACTERS~

Please enjoy~

Everlasting Magic

Chapter 2

As the pale woman in the window howled, the trio covered their ears immediately, trying to block out the horrid ear-piercing scream. Though, the tall man known as Ivan seemed unaffected by the screams. His cruel smile never faltered as he stepped closer to Gilbert, who was closest to the door where he had entered.

Ivan reached out and grabbed the albino by his throat, lifting him up a good three feet above his head. Gilbert's red eyes were wide with panic as he was lifted into the air by his throat. He choked and gasped for air as he started to struggle against Ivan's grip. He looked back at the two blondes that stood behind him. They were still covering their ears from the banshees scream, even though the banshee had quieted down for now. Gilbert then looked back down at Ivan. He was smiling like a child with a new toy; his deep lavender eyes had a slight glow to them.

"Heehee, you will regret the day you ran away from me Gilbert." Ivan giggled evilly. He lowered Gilbert and got right up to his face. Ivan's face darkened but his childlike grin remained the same.

"You will never leave me again…" He said chuckling darkly as he pressed his lips to Gilbert's.

Gilbert began struggling as hard as he could, trying to push Ivan off of him. He wanted to scream but his vocal cords refused to work. Ivan's grip on his neck tightened as he forced his tongue into the albino's mouth. Gilbert gasped, only deepening the unwanted kiss.

Ivan released Gilbert from the kiss; he was still smiling; only now he was showing his pearly white teeth.

"So, you really don't want to be with me then. If that is how you kiss me…" His smile turned unexpectedly into a frown. He began squeezing the albino's neck. Gilbert's eyes widened in fear, he struggled and gasped for any oxygen but nothing worked. Ivan was too strong.

Ivan just smiled manically. He continued to crush the poor albino's neck. Gilbert felt he was about to pass out when he heard a shout behind him.

"L-leave him alone!" The smaller of the two blondes shouted at Ivan.

Ivan frowned; he had never been spoken back to before. This one was interesting as well. He dropped Gilbert onto the wooden floor and stepped forward. Gilbert slumped down onto the hard wooden floor, panting and gasping for much needed oxygen. He looked back towards Ivan, who had gained a sudden interest in the small blonde with the red vest. The albino stood up as best he could, feeling very light headed. He was afraid of what Ivan might do to these poor people. He staggered forward, only to be thrown back, hitting the wooden door hard enough to break the door as well as bone. He could hear both the crack of the door and his bones snapping from the impact but somehow the door managed to stay in tacked. Gilbert crumpled to the floor as he felt the wind being knocked out of him.

"No, no Gilbert. Do not interrupt me while I am having my fun." Ivan warned. Gilbert tried to look up but all of his strength has now left him, he just laid there laying and panting against the floorboards of the cottage.

Ivan turned his attention back to the young blondes now in front of him. He was intrigued by how much they looked alike but they weren't exactly twins. The taller blonde was still frozen in fear as he stared at the misty woman, who was still in the window, looking in with mild interest. The shorter blonde looked up at Ivan in shock at how fast he had taken care of Gilbert. Ivan had barely taken his eyes off of the shorter blonde when he had moved his arm back and slammed the albino into the door.

Ivan walked closer to the young blonde; his eyes glowed lightly as he got closer. Now this one…Ivan thought as he breathed in the blondes scent. His scent smelled pure, too pure. He smiled gently down at him and offered him his hand.

"Would you like to become one with me?" Ivan asked, smiling wider as he thought of so many ways to un-purify this young man.

Matthew looked at Ivan, confused at what exactly he was offering.

"W-What do you…?" Matthew was about to ask when his brother finally came to his senses.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alfred interjected, walking up next to his brother but took a step back as he suddenly realized he had done something terribly wrong. Ivan was glaring him down with sharp lavender eyes.

"We were having a conversation; I suggest you back off, if you know what is good for you." Ivan said dangerously as a strange aura enveloped around his body. Alfred took another step back. Alfred then glanced back at the window, than did a double take as he noticed the banshee wasn't there any longer. He looked back at Matthew, who was now staring deeply into Ivan's eyes, like he was being hypnotized by them.

Alfred was about to say something when he looked over the strange man's shoulders and saw the pale woman right behind Ivan. Alfred froze in fear as her eyes met his. It was the strangest feeling when she looked at him with those cold, grey, empty eyes. He had that same feeling this morning. It was dread.

Dread and hate, Alfred thought as a shiver went up his spine once again. Though he noticed her features were more detailed this close up. Her hair was long and pale blonde, much like Ivan's. She had a bow that was clipped in her hair on top of her head. Her Victorian styed dress looked faded and tattered, but when Alfred looked down he didn't see the bottom of the dress or legs. She was floating in midair.

"Well, little one? You become one with me, da?" Ivan said darkly as he stared into Matthew's eyes. At that moment his body started acting on its own.

He stepped closer to Ivan, he tried to will his body to stop its movements but he had no control. Ivan smiled, showing his teeth. Was it just Matthew or did his canines look sharper than before?

Matthew stopped just a foot from the strange man, his mind screaming at his body to back away. His body did not move, instead his lips started moving on their own, forming words that he wasn't able to control.

"Yes, Master. I would like to be…" A shout interrupted him before he could finish the involuntary sentence.

"Nein! Don't do this please!" Gilbert was still lying on the floor, struggling to get up. The albino struggled to his feet and leaned against the wall to his right, clutching his side where at least three of his ribs were broken.

Ivan, fed up with the albino's constant interruptions, cut off eye contact with Matthew. Matthew realized he had been released from Ivan's control and quickly took a few hasty steps back. Alfred immediately grabbed his brothers' arm, pulling him back behind him. Ivan glanced back and snarled when he saw Matthew retreating. Ivan then gave Gilbert his full attention.

"You will need to be punished even more now that you have interrupted me for the last time." Ivan's smile was gone, replaced by a dark sneer. Gilbert cringed and whimpered. He knew this was bad, very bad. He had to find a way to stop Ivan and help the strangers he had brought into this mess.

Ivan walked over to the albino slowly. Gilbert's heart beat quickened with every step he took and he knew Ivan could hear it. Ivan could easily smell the fear on the albino, he could taste it. Sweet, with a little kick to it, something he always liked about Gilbert.

The albino made no move to retreat or run. He looked up into Ivan's cold deep lavender eyes. He started trembling as he felt Ivan's cold, smooth hand touch his cheek almost lovingly. The hand went down to his covered, bruised neck. The albino made no movements, he knew that look in Ivan's eyes. He had seen it way too many times before. Gilbert closed his eyes as Ivan's hand tilted his head back, revealing his smooth pale neck. Gilbert didn't want this but if he didn't do what Ivan wanted, he would surely be dead by sunrise. He felt Ivan's lips on his neck, making him shiver.

Suddenly Ivan bit down hard on Gilbert's neck, making him cry out in pain. Alfred and Matthew watched in horror at the scene before them. Matthew started to run up, to stop Ivan but Alfred quickly stopped him. Matthew looked up at Alfred and saw what he meant. The banshee was watching them closely, standing between then and the two strange men.

Gilbert was crying out in pain before he had a chance to stop himself. He could feel the blood leaving his body, what was left of his energy dwindling. He was dying, he could feel it. He never thought he would die like this. Ivan was taking too much blood from him and he could feel Gilbert's legs giving out. Ivan finally unlatched his mouth from the pale neck, releasing Gilbert and letting him slump down to the floor, leaning his back against the wall. His vision blurred and all things went black.

Ivan wiped his mouth clean of blood with the back of his hand. His smile returning as he breathed a sigh of satisfaction. He turned, meeting the terrified eyes of the two brothers. Alfred stiffened, bring Matthew behind him protectively.

"Now then, Matthew, I need you to come with me, da?" Ivan said happily. Matthew's eyes went wide with shock. Alfred glared at Ivan but said nothing.

"H-how do you know my name?" Matthew boldly questioned. Ivan smiled at his boldness.

"I read your mind; it's quite easy among us vampires." Ivan explained. His smile growing wider.

"Vampires?" Both brothers shouted in unison. Ivan chuckled darkly at their shock. He stepped closer to the blondes. The taller one glared and stepped back, bring his brother with him.

"Whatever the hell you are, you're not taking him." Alfred snapped, taking another step back away from the vampire.

"Oh is that so?" Ivan asked. He didn't like to abuse his power more than he absolutely had to but this was an exception. He wanted Matthew for his own and he always got what he wanted.

With a great speed he was inches from Alfred's face in a millisecond. Ivan grabbed him by his shirt and threw him across the room and out the window. Glass shattered around him as he flew several feet from the house after hitting the window, hard! He didn't even have time to gasp when the vampire threw him.

Alfred hit the wet ground outside with a thud. Glass shards from the window cut into his uncovered skin on his arms and face. He gasped in pain at the way he had landed, body twisted slightly. He rolled over onto his back to get some air and winced in more pain as he did so. Alfred could swear he could hear Matthew shouting his name but his head was too foggy to concentrate on the noises coming from the house.

Back in the house Ivan had advanced on Matthew. The poor man was defenseless against the so called vampire. He backed away from Ivan slowly into the corner of the room. He was trapped and he knew it. Even if he did run he didn't have a chance. Matthew was screaming Alfred's name, begging him to help, but all he got was silence and his own heavy breathing as he was having a panic attack.

Ivan smiled down at Matthew happily. He knew he had won because he always won. Matthew knew this as well and as he back reached the wall of the corner; he shut his eyes tight, afraid of what he might witness next if he opened them again.

"Look at me." The vampire said sternly. Matthew only whimpered and shook his head. Ivan grabbed Matthew's chin with his hand. "Open your eyes and look at me." He said again, making Matthew open his eyes this time.

Soft violet eyes locked onto deep lavender, tinted slightly with a red hue. Matthew tried to get of Ivan's grip that he had on his chin but the wall behind him prevented his escape.

"You will become one with me." Ivan's voice rang inside Matthew's mind without his lips even moving. Matthew gasped at the sudden voice.

As he stared into the lavender-red hue of eyes, he started to become light headed. Darkness soon clouded his vision and he slid slowly against the wall down to the wood floor. He then blacked out; the last image he saw was the face of the vampire and his creepy smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Warnings: Blood, Gore, Foul language, Violence, Disturbing scenes, Magic!

Pairings: UsUk, SlightRusPru, PruCan, RusCan. Maybe others. YAOI! BOY X BOY~! DON'T LIKE DON'T READ!

Disclaimer: I Don't own anything except for the plot.

Everlasting Magic

Chapter 3

Alfred tried to get up off of the soggy ground, he moved his arms underneath him to push himself up, but cried out as a sharp pain ran through his right shoulder. There was a huge shard of glass sticking out of his shoulder, dripping with crimson red. Alfred used his left arm to sit himself up. He looked at his once white peasant shirt, now stained with dirt and blood. He stared wide eyed at the bloody wound, shocked at such a bloody mess running down his arm. He was in shock; so much in shock that he didn't notice the slight chill that had come over him that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

The Banshee, Natalia, was standing right behind Alfred, looming over him creepily. Alfred came to his senses, feeling the chill and seeing the large shadow peering over him. He looked up and jerked back instantly, scrambling to get away from the pale woman. She howled with demonic delight at the fear in Alfred's eyes.

Alfred stumbled to his feet, not caring about his arm anymore or the blood soaking his shirt. He tried running back to the house but he only got a few feet within the porch when a shrill shrieking stopped him in his tracks. Alfred's face went white and his eyes went wide. He couldn't move. Not because he was scarred shitless, but because he just couldn't get his feet to move. It was as if the Banshee's scream had caused his body to stop functioning.

Alfred tried to fight the spell that had been cast over him, to no avail. He could feel the cold stare of the Banshee behind him. His attention was then turned to the heavy footsteps on the hard wood floor of the porch.

There stood Ivan, an amused smile on his lips as he licked his lips, getting the rest of the fresh blood off.

"Oh that looks nasty, my friend." Ivan pointed to Alfred's injured shoulder, the glass shard still in place.

Alfred tried to make a retort but he couldn't speak either. He was completely helpless. Ivan sniffed the air then smiled warmly. "You're blood smells good. I wonder if it tastes anything like your dear brothers blood…" Ivan stepped closer slowly.

Alfred felt like he was ready to explode. 'How dare he touch Mattie! I'll kill this bastard! If only I could move…' Alfred stared hatefully at Ivan as he stepped within striking distance.

"Well, that's not very nice of you to think of me like that. I didn't hurt him at all. I just took a little taste," Ivan said as a smile crept up on his face. He leaned in closer and Alfred could smell vodka and the blood on his breath. "And his blood was so good that I decided to keep him as my own~." Ivan glanced up at Natalia, signaling her to let Alfred go. Alfred gasped and suddenly he was in control again. He clenched his fists and took a swing at Ivan, who evaded the attack with ease. Alfred stumbled forward, wincing in pain as he forgot about his injured arm. Ivan was behind him at an instant, putting his arm around Alfred's neck in a choke hold.

"Come on, you can do better than that. Matthew fought harder than this." Ivan said mockingly. That sent Alfred over the edge.

Enraged, Alfred ripped the huge shard of glass from his arm and plummeted the sharp tip into Ivan's arm that was around his neck. Ivan hissed in pain and let go of Alfred. Surprised by the attack, Ivan bared his fangs at Alfred, who didn't even flinch as he advanced again, moving as fast as he could. With glass shard in hand, Alfred took another stab at the Vampire. Ivan reacted quickly, grabbing a hold of the hand just about to slit his throat with the glass. Alfred gasped; he could feel negative energy emanate from the Vampire.

Ivan was mad now and Alfred knew it. That smile was no longer there and Ivan's grip on his wrist was bone-crushingly painful. His once lavender eyes were now a blood red, intent to kill.

Without a second thought, Ivan pulled Alfred closer and bit hard into the flesh of his neck, not even bothering being gentle. Alfred screamed in fear and surprise. There was a weird sensation as he felt his blood being drained from his body. He started getting light headed and his legs started to tremble. His legs would give out soon but there was nothing Alfred could do to stop Ivan. He couldn't move.

Just as he thought he was going to collapse, Ivan let go of his neck, his lavender colored eyes returning. Alfred's knees buckled and he fell to the ground, not having any strength left in his body.

"I am so very sorry about that, but you angered me and no one ever does that without consequences." Ivan said simply. He noticed Alfred's shallow breathing and that the bite mark had not stopped bleeding, plus the blood that was pumping from the wound in Alfred's shoulder. He almost felt sorry for the poor human bleeding out on the ground in front of him. Almost. Then he had a sudden idea.

Smiling, he silently picked up the glass shard beside Alfred. He rolled up the long sleeves of his black coat and made a cut on his wrist. A small trickle of blood streamed down his arm. Ivan knelt down beside Alfred and put his bloodied wrist to his mouth.

"Let's see how you like being a monster as well." Ivan grinned wickedly and smeared his blood on Alfred's lips. Alfred stared at Ivan weakly, not caring, going in and out of consciousness. He felt the warm liquid on his lips and licked them unconsciously. It tasted salty and had an iron aftertaste.

Ivan stood and walked back inside the house to retrieve his new pets. He slung the unconscious albino and other blonde brother over his shoulders, leaving Alfred outside momentarily. Alfred blinked for a moment, feeling nauseous and a slight burning in his chest. He heard Ivan's heavy boots on the wood floor of the porch coming out of the house.

"Oh don't worry, you will feel it soon enough." Ivan said cheerfully as he walked past Alfred, Natalia right behind him.

"W-wait. Matthew..?" Alfred said weakly, the dull pain in his chest was getting annoying but he sees his brother being carried away by the bastard that nearly killed him. "Matthew! Wait! Don't take him!" Alfred tried screaming but it came out as a harsh whisper, though Ivan still heard it. The pain was rapidly getting worse, he felt like he couldn't breathe. Alfred tried gasping for air but nothing worked to sooth the pain raging in his chest.

"Ah, I am sorry but I have become quit fond of Matthew here so I will be taking him now, good luck." Ivan smiled at the young blonde, giggling happily as he watched Alfred curl up and squirm in pain. Alfred saw Ivan and Natalia walk into the fog of the Everlasting Forest, disappearing out of sight.

Alfred scratched at his chest weakly, the pain not letting up at all but getting worse by the second. He could barely keep sane and his body wretched in so much pain. His chest felt as if it was on fire on the inside, burning his insides to ash. Soon he passed out to rid his body of the pain and to keep himself sane.

When Alfred woke up some hours later, he groaned as drops of early morning rain hit his face. He was still outside on the muddy earth, groggy and light headed but alive. He slowly rose to his feet, surprisingly without too much difficulty. His clothes were damp and dirty all over with partially dried blood and dirt. His wire framed glasses were cracked and dented in places. Alfred took off his glasses and then stopped as he noticed he could see perfectly without them.

That had never been the case with Alfred. He was practically blind as a bat and could barely see two feet in front of his own face without squinting. He scratched his head in thought of how his vision could have gotten so perfect.

He shrugged, putting the thoughts behind him and went into the cottage. The door was still wide open and as he stepped onto the porch the memories from the night before came flooding back. His eyes widened as he frantically brought his hand up to his shoulder where the glass had been. Nothing was there except for the blood. He ran into the bathroom to clean up the blood so he could be sure.

After cleaning himself of blood and dirt, he stood bare in front of the mirror to inspect himself for injures. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at his arms and face in the mirror. No cuts or bruises anywhere, his shoulder was completely healed, no scar remained. It's as if nothing had happened at all. He remembered crashing through the window and the window was shattered when he entered the house, yet he couldn't explain how he had healed so fast, especially from wounds he had sustained.

It didn't make any sense at all. Alfred stared at his reflection in the mirror. His bright blue eyes were the same. His hair the same as it's always been with the stray strand of hair sticking up from the part in his hair. He leaned closer to the mirror, trying to figure out what was going on. Maybe it was all a dream…?

No, it couldn't have been a dream because of the broken window and the damaged front door, not to mention how he had gotten outside. His torn bloody clothes were proof as well. He remembered fighting Ivan and then…

His hands went straight to his neck as he remembered Ivan biting him. His breathing began to quicken as his chest began that familiar burning pain. He searched his neck again, but came up empty. The pain in his chest was dull and slowly went away.

He had heard stories about vampires and what happens when they bite their victims. Alfred gulped nervously at the thought. What if Ivan had turned him into a vampire? A chill ran down his spine. It would explain a lot, it would explain why he wasn't dead in the first place. He remembered lying on the ground and Ivan kneeling over him, putting his hand to Alfred's mouth and…

No! No it can't be…it just can't…why would he just… With a frustrated shout, Alfred slammed his fist into the mirror. Glass shattered everywhere and Alfred winced slightly as glass cut deep into his hand once again. He grabbed a towel to wrap around his bleeding hand, but did a double take as he looked back at his hand. The cuts were already healing at a rapid pace.

Alfred stared at his hand until the cuts were fully healed, no scar remained and there was no more pain. His eyes were wide with disbelief; his legs were shaking as his eyes drifted to the broken mirror glass on the floor. He could still see his own reflection except something was different. His bright blue eyes were rimmed with a deep crimson.

He backed up out of the bathroom and ran to his bedroom, threw on a blue tunic and trousers, slipped on his shoes. There was one person he knew he could trust besides his brother. A friend of the families, who he has known since childhood.

Alfred ran out of the house into the pouring rain, running down the muddy road to the village. He passed small houses until he came to a cottage on a corner next to the small river. He didn't slow his pace as he ran to the door and started banging loudly on it. It was almost sunrise, Alfred could feel it. He didn't know if that myth about the sun and vampires was really true but he didn't want to hang around to find out.

"Arthur! Open the door! Please, I really need to talk to you! Open the mother- oh" Alfred stopped mid-sentence as a very cranky Arthur opened the door at last. Arthur's sandy blonde hair was even messier than usual and his thick eyebrows were knitting in a deep scowl. He really did hate mornings filled with noise.

"Come on." Alfred rushed in rudely, pushing Arthur out of the way and slamming the door, away from the dreaded sun. Arthur stared at Alfred as if he had lost his marbles.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here this early in the morning?" Arthur asked, irritated with everything already. Alfred stood in front of him and looked into his sharp green eyes. He had never noticed how green they were until now.

"Where are your glasses? Alfred? Are you paying attention?" Arthur's voice dragged Alfred out of his insane thoughts.

"We have a problem…Arthur; please I need your help. You're the only one I can trust, or hope to trust with this situation." Alfred's serious and desperate tone surprised Arthur. If Alfred was serious about something then it was serious.

"Okay, what is it?" Arthur said simply, not expecting anything too serious.

"Mattie's gone…" Alfred said sadly. Arthur gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean he is gone? Did he run away? What happened?" Arthur asked, worried for the young man's safety.

Alfred sighed and started to explain what had happened the night before. Arthur listened silently until Alfred got to the part where Ivan had bit him. That's when Arthur spoke up.

"He bit you?" Arthur's voice was low and serious. Alfred only nodded, feeling ashamed that he couldn't defend himself or his brother. "Did he give you some of his own blood?" Alfred paused at that. He wasn't sure because he had blacked out several times during this event.

"Come with me." Arthur commanded, Alfred obeyed, following close behind him as he walked to a door that led to the basement. He opened the door and stepped down a dark staircase. Alfred follows cautiously, but found that he could see quit well.

They came to the end of the staircase as the room ahead of them lit up with candles. Alfred quickly looked away and hissed as his sensitive eyes stung with the sudden light. Arthur nodded slightly and took a mental note of that. He waved his hand at the candles and they dimmed to a soft glow.

"It's okay now Alfred. You can open your eyes now." Arthur said. Alfred sighed in relief and looked around. The room was made of stone with bookshelves all around. It was a fairly large room, probably bigger that the cottage up above them. There was a wooden desk and chair in the corner covered with books and other objects. Alfred noticed there was something in the middle of the floor. Strange symbols covered the floor in a circular pattern. Arthur noticed Alfred staring curiously at the floor.

"What you are standing on is a magic circle." Arthur explained. Alfred looked up at him and blushed, having been caught staring.

"Magic? But I thought that was only in stories and stuff." Alfred said, confused.

"Yes, well, a lot of people do not believe in magic but it does exist." Arthur explained. He went to the desk and picked something up. Putting the object behind his back he stepped in front of Alfred.

"Close your eyes and hold out your hand, please." Arthur said, smiling. Alfred looked at him wearily but did as he was told.

"What does this have to do with-Ow! What the fuck?" Alfred shouted; startled as he felt something hot being dropped into his hand. He dropped the burning objected onto the stone floor and stepping away from it. He looked at the red, tender flesh of his hand, not healing as fast as before. He looked back at Arthur, confused.

"Now that was a silver bullet dipped in holy water." Arthur picked up the bullet of off the floor and held it out so Alfred could see. It was indeed a silver bullet. Arthur smiled. "Congratulations, you are a Vampire!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Alfred stared at the blonde haired, green eyed man before him in shock. How could he be a Vampire? He remembered Ivan biting him but he had blacked out soon after. As Alfred was lost in his thoughts Arthur walked back to the desk and picked something else up off of it.

"I am truly sorry about this, Alfred…" Arthur said sullenly. Alfred looked up from his thoughts in question.

"Bro, what are you talking about?" Alfred asked cautiously, feeling the atmosphere change drastically to an almost dangerous level.

Just when he was about to take a step forward Arthur turned around like a flash of lightning and a sharp dagger zipped out of his hand straight towards Alfred's face. Alfred only had a fraction of a second to react. His eyes widened, it was like everything suddenly went into slow motion as the dagger slowly made its way towards him. He moved his head slightly to the right when everything went back to its normal speed. He felt the dagger wiz past his left ear, narrowly missing it by a centimeter and embed itself into the stone wall with strong force.

"Hmm, your reactions are slow, but then again you are not even a day old and you have yet to taste human blood. So it is to be expected." Arthur said, more to himself than to Alfred. Alfred stumbled back, nearly losing his balance.

"Y-you tried to…you could have…what the hell is wrong with you?" Alfred yelled at the other man, who had his back turned to him.

"I was simply testing you, nothing to worry about. It wouldn't have killed you anyway, so stop acting like such a child and get your arse over here." Arthur's tone was serious and demanding. Alfred wanted to press him further on why Arthur tried to 'test' him but he didn't want to make the older man mad. Alfred licked his lips nervously, walking over to where the older was standing by the desk. Arthur looked at him with caution.

"Since you have not tasted human blood yet, you are not a full vampire. But once you do taste human blood, you become even more dangerous and powerful than before. Though, most of the power seems to come with age as well." Arthur explained. "However, you will have urges to feed and even though the urges are not strong now: they will become stronger, even overwhelming." Arthur's features darkened slightly. "You are not too dangerous now but when you get that urge to feed you will probably not be able to control yourself for very long." Alfred looked down at the shorter man then looked away. 'I wouldn't do that…right..?'

"Alfred…" Alfred turned his attention back to Arthur. His deep blue eyes met bright green and his stomach flopped a little at how bright they were.

"I think it would be in your best interest if you stayed with me for a while." Arthur said, determined. Alfred's eyes widened slightly and he looked away, blushing.

"W-What about Mattie…? What about that bastard who took him..? H-He's the only family I have left…" Tears swelled up in Alfred's eyes. Arthur couldn't stand seeing the taller man in such pain, but he had to do this.

"Alfred, I know it is hard to lose somebody close to you…trust me…I know but this is crucial. You need to take the time to learn how to control yourself because if you don't…you could end up hurting a lot of people…" Arthur looked down at the stone floor.

"I would never do that…" Alfred growled, looking down at the shorter man before him. Arthur looked up at the young vampire in front of him.

"You may think that now but-…" Alfred interrupted him. "But nothing! I wouldn't hurt innocent people, never!" Alfred clenched his fists and bared his teeth. Arthur was taken aback at Alfred's outburst.

"Alfred, listen to me for-…" Alfred then snapped.

"No! I would never do that to anybody! Ever! Do you hear me? I couldn't do that!" Arthur stepped back in defense. Alfred's eyes were flashing a crimson red at the end of every sentence spoken. His canines were noticeably longer as he bared them in anger and frustration.

"Alfred…" Arthur glanced at the desk, going completely on instinct to defend himself if possible. There was another dagger on the desk; he scrambled to reach for it without Alfred noticing. Alfred wouldn't have noticed anyway. He was slowly losing control of himself.

Arthur reached for the dagger and grabbed it clumsily, panicking, his fingers slipped and the dagger sliced into the soft flesh of his hand. He hissed in pain but ignored it as Alfred suddenly stopped his rant.

Alfred stood there, wide eyed, not moving. He sniffed the air. Arthur looked at his hand in panic. 'Oh dear god, what have I done…' Arthur thought, panicking as Alfred got closer to him.

Arthur shook with fear as Alfred stopped in front of him. He was cornered. He gasped as his back hit the stone wall. Alfred's eyes were blood red now. He looked into Arthur's terrified green eyes desperately. He stepped even closer to the shorter man, growling lowly. Arthur shivered as Alfred was only inches away from him now.

The smell of Arthur's blood was overwhelming. Alfred had lost control of everything. He just wanted to taste Arthur. He couldn't get the smell out of his nose.

Arthur whimpered as Alfred came in close to his neck, sniffing and nuzzling softly. Arthur eyed the dagger on the floor just feet from him. His bleeding hand stung as he tried to hide it behind his back. He had completely forgotten about his magic abilities, he was afraid if he moved, Alfred would go in for the kill.

Arthur gasped and blushed when Alfred ran his tongue over his sensitive neck. He wasn't surprised by the young vampire's actions but he was surprised to hear Alfred moan softly at his taste. He blushed harder and bit his lip, looking at the dagger desperately. He needed to get Alfred away from him before he bit him. Young vampires will most likely kill on their first feeding. He knew he wouldn't stand a chance if he fought back physically.

His eyes widened as he remembered a spell he saw in one of his many books. Alfred was nipping on his neck playfully and pressed his body closer to Arthur's. This gave Arthur the advantage. He lifted his bloodied slowly, the blood smearing on his fingers. He reached up and gripped the back of Alfred's blue tunic. He hoped and prayed this would work or he would be a dead man.

Arthur quickly drew a seal of blood on Alfred's left shoulder blade. He laided his palm on the seal and whispered a few words of magic. The blood seal glowed red. Suddenly Alfred flinched as a glowing red hot collar wrapped around his neck, attacted to the collar was a leash of the same colour. The leash tugged the young vampire away from his pray.

Alfred collapsed on the ground. Trying to fight against the magic collar and leash. He growled and clawed at the collar to no avail. Arthur quickly scrambled away and sighed in relief. 'That was close...' He thought as he opened a book and flipped through the pages until he found the Enchantment he needed. He willed the leash to drag Alfred to the center of the magic circle. He wrapped a piece of cloth around his still bleeding hand. He would take care of it later.

Meanwhile Alfred was clawing and biting furiously at the magic collar, trying to rip it apart. Arthur noticed he wasn't going to calm down any time soon. He stood in front of Alfred, who noticed him and struggled to get at him savagely. There was this look in Alfred's eyes that Arthur knew wasn't good. He had to hurry with the Enchantment or Alfred could stay wild and dangerous forever.

He lifted his arms out, spellbook in his left hand, his right baring a silver locket. It was pure silver and glowed lightly as Arthur chanted in a certain rythum ancient words. His voice calm and smooth as silk. Alfred growled as the symbols on the floor began to glow green. He lunged at Arthur hatefully.

Arthur finished the chant as green flames circled around the silver locket dangling from his hand. It caught fire and Alfred growled and thrashed against the leash holding him back. The room filled with a magical heat. Arthur took a breath to calm himself. He knew what had to be done.

He released the blood spell he had placed on Alfred. The glowing red leash and collar vanished. Alfred bared his sharp fangs at his friend and lunged at him hard and fast. Arthur moved at super human speed, as did Alfred. Arthur's right hand shot out and he braced himself as everything went into slow motion once again.

Alfred's face was fierce as Arthur looked up into his scarlet red eyes. He did not flinch as the young vampires' chest colided with his glowing hand with the scortching magical locket. The face of the round silver locket burned through the blue tunic and imbeded itself into the flesh of Alfred's chest, in the middle of his breast bone. Alfred howled in agony as the powerful magic set to work. The young vampire fell away from Arthur, who was panting. He had used a lot of magic. Even though it wasn't a very complex enchantment, it was a hard enchantment to master. An enchantment that repelled any dangerous creature of the enchanters choosing. If this enchantment is done improporly it can be costly. Arthur had only done this spell one other time before. It had nearly killed him.

Arthur's legs were trimbling as he stepped forward. Alfred was writhing in pain on the floor, though he had calmed down signifigantly. The Mage fell to his knees and pulled the locket away. The locket had made a brand on Alfred's pale skin. The area was not healing at all and was a harsh red colour, standing out against his skin.

Arthur took a few shaky breaths before standing back up. He had come far from the last time he had used any sort of spell or enchantment like that. The last time he had used that enchantment, it was on another vampire, nine years ago. He was twenty-two nowand even more experienced than he was back then.

Alfred was spriled out on the floor, his breathing calmer, his eyes no longer blood red but a bright blue. His half lidded eyes looked up at Arthur with a glazed expression. The burning in his chest was dulling to a soothing sensation.

"I'm so sorry, Alfred. If you can hear me, blink." Alfred blinked and looked up at him, his eyes becoming a bit clearer.

"I really am sorry. I had to restrain you or you could have hurt me or worse." Arthur said with a sad smile.

"W-what happened t-to me..?" Alfred asked in a raspy voice. He tried to get up but he couldn't seem to move. Arthur went to the desk and searched in its drawers.

"Do not move. You are very weak and you can't lose any more energy." Arthur said sternly as he found what he needed. He unwrapped the cloth around his hand, taking a small bottle of healing potion he poured a little on the wound. As his hand began to heal closed and the blood evaporated away, he made his way over to the vampire and knelt beside him.

"This is exactly why I wanted you to stay with me. If you so much as even smell blood in the air, you will go into a frenzy and will do anything to find the source of the blood. You need training and willpower. You could have killed me, Alfred. That is what happened to you. I had accidentally cut my hand and you..." Arthur stopped as he remembered the feeling of Alfred's tongue on his neck. Alfred looked at him, seeing the small blush and stared at him, confused.

"I did what..?" The young vampire asked, feeling a little bit of strength come back to him. Arthur shook his head trying to clear his thoughts of such rubbish.

"You almost bit me... If you had, I would have most likely have died. Luckily I have the power of magic on my side. But I have to say, you are quit a handful." Arthur smiled warmly at his last words. Alfred smiled back weakly, then frowned as he was trying to process this new information. Had he really lost control of himself? It made sense if he did. One minute he was yelling then the next he had blacked out and was now on the floor with an aching body. Guilt washed over him like a wave and he met Arthur's gaze.

"Did I really do that, Arthur? Did I...h-hurt you?" Alfred's voice cracked at the last part. He didn't like hurting anyone, especially not his friends.

"I'm afraid so, lad. But you didn't hurt me. If anything I over did it." Arthur said in a whisper. He was exhausted but he had to take care of his friend first. He could sence the young vampire slowly regaining strength. That was a good sign. Alfred wasn't going to die from the enchantment that had been cast upon him but there was still the brand to worry about.

"Can you walk? I might be able to conjour up a levitation spell if you cannot." The Mage said, hoping the vampire could walk on his own. He didn't want to admit it but he was spent. He was too pridful to say anything of the sort. It would be calling himself weak.

"I think I can walk, or at least stand." Alfred winced as he sat up, his chest exploding with fiery pain. He looked through the hole in his tunic. There he saw the burned flesh in the middle of his chest. The oval shaped locket that was shoved at his chest had branded the shape of it into his flesh. It was tender and stung like hell. Even with his vampiric regeneration it was not healing at all. He stood up slowly, with Arther's help and they slowly made there way past the bookshelves. to the staircase, taking their time as not to strain their bodies even more.

Arthur's vision was starting to blur as he helped Alfred up the stairs. Alfred could now walk steady on his feet again. His strength coming back rapidly now. He sighed in relief.

As soon as the sigh was released his breath hitched as he felt something pull him down. Arthur had lost his balance, falling forward, bringing Alfred down with him. Alfred did not have the strength yet to support the Mage. Both men fell on the oak wood floor. Gasping in pain, Arthur looked up, dazed, into bright blue eyes. He realized the young vampire was on top of him. He didn't even know that he had fallen until the pain in his back had kicked in.

Alfred blushed furiously as he lay on top of the Mage. The way he had landed on him was what looked like a very suggestive posision. Their faces close and their bodies even closer. A certain heat filled the atmospere around them. Arthur woke up from his daze and whimpered in pain, oblivious to how close Alfred's body was to his. Alfred tried to get up, but no longer had any strength left.

Their chests pressed together, Alfred could feel and hear Arthur's heart beat. It soothed him in a way. In that moment he heard Arthur's heartbeat speed up. He looked into emerald green eyes, no longer glazed over, but looking up at him with concern and fear.

"S-sorry. You fell and I couldn't catch you." Alfred muttered. He looked away and blushed, trying to ignore the warmth of the Mage's body on his.

"O-oh...I did not realize I had lost my balance. I guess I used too much of my energy..." Arthur sighed. "Could you please get off of me now? My back is killing me." Arthur said, a little irritated that the vampire was still on top of him.

"I...I can't." Alfred stuttered and flushed even more. He really couldn't get up. His legs felt like jello and he could barely keep his arms up from having all of his weight on Arthur.

"A-are you serious? Bloody..." Arthur stopped and moved his hands to the young vampires' chest and pushed Alfred off and away from him with all the strength he had left. Alfred rolled to the side onto the oak floor. Arthur sighed as sweat accumulated on his forehead.

"W-well...this was an interesting morning." Arthur said and looked over at Alfred, who was no longer beside him.

"A-Alfred?! Where the hell did he go? I thought he said he couldn't stand!" Arthur exclaimed out loud in panic. The Mage struggled to his feet, using the wooden door frame for support. Terrified thoughts swirled around in his head. 'What if he ran away? What if the enchantment didn't work?! What if-' Arthur's thoughts were interrupted by a coughing fit. He doubled over and fell to his knees, coughing and sputtering up something warm and liquid. He tried to cover his mouth to stop the liquid but it came anyway. To his horror the liquidy substance was dark red and covered his entire hand, dripping to the oak floor beneath him.

'Damn it! I thought I was stronger than this. I-I need to clean this up before Alfred smells it.' Arthur hastily wiped the floor with the sleeve of his shirt, staining the white fabric with red. Wiping his hand on his trousers he quickly got up again, ignoring the dizziness that came over him and blurred his vision momentarily. After taking a few steps he went into another coughing fit. Blood dripped from his mouth and splattered onto the floor. Losing his balance, the Mage fell, fainting as his head hit the cold floor.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warnings for this chapter! Cursing. That is about it.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

~Flashback~

"Alistair! When are you going to teach me that one spell?" Thirteen year old Arthur Kirkland asked his older brother, a bit annoyed at how long it was taking him to become a Grand Mage. The young man looked over at the top of the interesting book he had been reading just moments ago with a slight scowl. He was no older than twenty, with piercing light green eyes and red hair that seemed to glow slightly in the low candle light of the room.

"Oi! Why're ya bothern' me fer? I thought I told ya to go find some nightshade in the forest." Alistair implied and went back to reading his book. There was a pregnant pause and no response from his blonde younger brother. The red haired man looked up from his book curiously, only to get a handful of nightshade plant thrown at his face.

Out of reflex, Alistair lifted his hand in a flash and whispered the words of magic below his breath. The plant leaves suspended in mid air in front of his pale face.

"I already got your damn bloody leaves! I want to learn that spell you showed me in that book." Arthur shouted and the redhead's scowl deepened.

"Well, if yer goin' to be a lil' brat about it, then the answer is no. I am not teachin' ya any new spells with that attitude of yers, laddy!" Alistair's scowl rose a little into a small smirk of satisfaction as he saw his younger brothers shocked expression.

"T-that's not fair! You're suppose to teach me so that I could be a Grand Mage like you some day!" Arthur exclaimed. Alistair's smirk slipped a bit. He appreciated his brothers' admiration but he wasn't all that great of a Mage. Even though he had acquired the rank of Grand Mage at the young age of fourteen, the youngest to ever receive that rank in history, he had not gotten any farther. Grand Mage was the third rank from the top. There were Five ranks of Mage in the world of Magic. The fifth is the lowest. Novice Mage, as it is called. Then there is the First rank or the Elder Mage. The Elder Mage is the highest rank you can get, if you can get it. There is no Mage alive today that has achieved that rank in over a hundred years. Not since the Great War. As far as Alistair was concerned, he wasn't interested in going any farther with his magical talents, even though his father had said otherwise.

"O' Alright, just stop the yellin'. Yer given me a headache." The Grand Mage sighed and got up from the comfy chair he had been sitting in. Arthur jumped up in excitement and ran to the door of the small cottage they lived in. The red head put the Nightshade leaves in a jar and slowly walked after his younger brother. He smiled to himself at how happy Arthur was. Even through hard times he had kept smiling.

The sun was just above the horizon. The orange glow seemed to melt into the puddles that the afternoon rain had left. The green grass was damp and made no sound under Arthur's feet as he ran to the small clearing in the back of the cottage. Soft warm wind rustled the trees and caressed the pale skin of the young boy. Arthur smiled at his older brother who was lazily following him into the clearing. Being surrounded by the trees and nature sent a pleasant shiver down Alistair's spine as he breathed in the scent of the moist earth and wood. The newly fallen rain water made the air have a fresh smell to it. He loved days like these.

In the clearing, there was a huge Magic circle of limestone and other mineral stones that captured and harnessed energy. Magic circles were important but not necessary for casting spells and other magic. Though it is needed for mastering certain spells.

"Alright laddy, let's see what ya've got." The red head spoke, smirking at the dumbfounded look Arthur gave him.

"What? B-but I-" He stuttered and stopped.

"No buts. Now get in the middle of the circle and show me what ya can do!" Alistair ordered the younger. Arthur jumped at the sudden command and walked into the circle, feeling nervous.

"C'mon now! Hit me with yer strongest combat spell." Arthur froze. His strongest combat spell? Fine, if Alistair wanted his strongest combat spell, he would give it to him.

Clapping his hands together in concentration his lips formed the words of an ancient spell. He uncupped his hands and lifted them slowly into the air. The stones of the circle began to glow a light red and pulsed slightly as Magic radiated off of them.

Alistair narrowed his eyes as he felt the amount of magic coming from the circle, filling the atmosphere with a certain vibrancy. The determination in Arthur's emerald eyes seemed to make them glow as he slowly started chanting words in a rythmatic pattern. His upturned hands began to glow with a white fire, slowly getting bigger. To say that Alistair was surprised was an understatement. He had never seen Arthur with so much Magical power before. He smiled slightly and readied himself for the attack.

Arthur stopped chanting. The white fire in his hands did not burn his skin but he could feel the intense heat in his palms. He took a deep breath and lashed out his right arm. White fire shot from his hand with a loud crackle. Alistair tensed and brought his hand up, creating an invisible barrier around himself as the flames engulfed the entire shield. The Grand Mage was more than impressed as the white flames dissipated and he let his shield down. It took great effort to control and maintain a spell like that.

Alistair was surprised to see the boy still standing. Magic at the ready for another go. 'How is he still using Magic successfully casting a spell so out of his league? That spell is not a fifth rank or even a fourth rank spell...it's a third rank spell. He is only a fourth rank Mage.' Alistair thought to himself. He wanted to test his brothers limits but that could wait.

"Very good, laddy. Have ya been trainin with out me?" Alistair asked with a smirk.

"Why yes. Because you're too bloody lazy to teach me anymore!" Shouted Arthur, who was starting to get light headed. He let the flames die in his hands and the red circle of Magic dim then disappear.

"Well, I would have to say that ya have done well." The Grand Mage smiled at his younger brother. Arthur was surprised by the kind and approving smile Alistair was giving him. He usually got a scowl or a scolding for not working hard enough but this was different. He found himself smiling as well.

"Do you think I am ready for the repel enchantment?" Arthur asked with hope in his green eyes.

"Aye, more than ready." Alistair's tone was a very pleased on, then turned to a gruff, serious tone. "But be warned, laddy. Misuse of this enchantment can be deadly or worse." There was a dark glint in his light green eyes as he spoke. Arthur gulped audibly and suppressed a shiver. He hadn't seen Alistair this serious since their Mother sent them away.

The red head motioned the blond away from the circle as he strode over to the middle. He pulled an oval shaped silver locket from around his neck. He unhooked the silver chain and brought it up to the setting sunlight. The silver gleamed gold in the light and he smiled. This locket was very important to him. Given to him by his mother when she sent Alistair and Arthur away to keep them safe. Safe from what, Alistair had found out years later that their family was being hunted. Hunted by something that was intended on either enslaving or killing Mage families. There have been reports of similar accounts as far as the oceans and the mountains on the other side of the Everlasting Forest. Alistair knew it was only a matter of time before they were found.

"Alistair? What are you staring at?"

The Grand Mage jumped at the sound of his little brothers voice. He had not realized he was so lost in thought to space out, staring at his Mother's silver locket blankly.

"This, m'boy." The red head motioned Arthur to come closer. He held up the locket and smiled. Arthur looked at the locket and frowned.

"Why do you always have that locket?" Arthur asked quietly, even when he already knew the answer.

"This was our mums locket. Don't you remember her?" Arthur nodded slightly and smiled sadly, remembering the day she had sent them away to safety.

"I miss her. When will we get to see her again? And Father too?" Arthur asked innocently. Alistair stiffened and felt his heart clinch. He had never told his younger brother of their parents' demise. He sighed and realized he had been holding his breath. The Grand Mage figured that Arthur was old enough to know. But right now didn't seem like the right time for it. Putting on a fake smile he patted the mess of blond that was Arthur's hair.

"I don't know but maybe someday we will find them again. Now le's go back to that Enchantment!" Alistair exclaimed. Arthur nodded and smiled. Alistair could see all of the hope in the world in his little brother's emerald eyes as he listened to his instructions. He knew that something was going to happen that would change their lives forever.

~End of Flashback~

Arthur's emerald eyes flew open and he was greeted by sunlight pouring through the open window of the small room. His head was pounding as he groaned and rolled over in the bed he was currently laying in. As he did so, memories came flooding back and he shot up out of the bed a little too fast. His vision filled with blurred dots. When his vision finally cleared he sat up to a more comfortable position and looked around. He recognized the room to be his. The brown wool blanket that covered his lap and the white cotton sheets of the bed were familiar to his touch. The scent of dust and pine wood that filled the air was also quit familiar to him as well.

Arthur looked down to see he was wearing new clothes, not the ones he had passed out in. The bloodstained white long sleeved shirt he was wearing before with his dark green vest was replaced with a long crisp white night gown he wore to bed. He noticed that his trousers were still on, to his relief.

The Mage felt the weakness in his body. His arms felt heavy and his back ached. He looked at his hand, seeing the long scar that stretched from his pointer finger down his palm to the top of his wrist. He must have been asleep for at least a day because he could tell that it was still early in the morning.

Pulling back the wool blanket, Arthur grunted as he swung his legs and feet over the edge of the bed. He mumbled a few curses under his breath when he stood up, feeling dizzy and tired. Arthur (not so gracefully) walked out of the bedroom and into the hallway, dazedly looking for Alfred.

Honestly he felt like death. His body screamed at him to get back into bed. So did his head, though he ignored it and stubbornly made his way down the short hallway to the kitchen, where then, he heard loud laughter.

It was the obnoxious laughter that made Arthur scowl but smile at the same time. He knew of whom the laughter was coming from and, remembering what had happened, smiled in relief. It had been a long time since he had been happy to hear such laughter.

He stopped in mid step, realizing there was another voice in the kitchen where the obnoxious laughter was coming from. The voice was one he had recognized instantly. It was a voice that soothed even the most vicious of beasts, calm and smooth like silk, with a hint of dark passion in it. A shiver went up Arthur's spine as he slowly made his way into the small kitchen. His emerald eyes downcast, not looking at the other two people in the room. The room was devoid of the laughter as the Mage stepped into the room and stopped in front of the cooking pot and bucket near the fire place in the top right of the room.

"Arthur...?" He could tell a pair of bright blue eyes were on him. Alfred's voice was laced with concern as he said the Mages' name.

Arthur slowly turned to his two guests sitting at his dining table. He glared at the guest opposite Alfred. The man also had a concerned look on his face. Arthur knew this man once, but no longer. He knew he could not trust those sky blue eyes or that devilish smile any longer. Not after what the man put him through.

"Bonjour, Arthur. I am glad to see that you are well." The man said, swiping a piece of long blonde hair from his handsome face.

* * *

**A/N: Aaaahh~~! Abrupt endings to chapters are always fun! The only reason why it is abrupt is because it was a very VERY long chapter and I didn't want it to be too long. This is the other half of the chapter~ I hope you like it and please Review! I've been wanting to know what you guys think of the new chapters so far~!**

 


End file.
